Euphorbia plant named ‘Bonpri 1095’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Euphorbia  plant named ‘Bonpri 1095’, characterized by its upright and mounded plant habit; vigorous growth habit; freely branching habit; dark green-colored leaves; inflorescences with large intense red purple-colored flower bracts with lighter red purple-colored margins; inflorescences with small and sterile cyathia; and good post-production longevity.

Botanical designation: Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd. exKlotzsch×Euphorbia cornastra.

Cultivar denomination: ‘BONPRI 1095’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar ofEuphorbia plant, an interspecific hybrid botanically known as Euphorbiapulcherrima Willd. ex Klotzsch×Euphorbia cornastra, and hereinafterreferred to by the cultivar name ‘Bonpri 1095’.

The new Euphorbia plant is a product of a planned breeding programconducted by the Inventor in Yellow Rock, New South Wales, Australia.The objective of the program is to create and develop new interspecificEuphorbia plants with upright and mounded plant habit and largeattractive flower bracts.

The new Euphorbia plant originated from a cross-pollination by theInventor on Nov. 1, 2010 of a proprietary selection of Euphorbiapulcherrima Willd. ex Klotzsch identified as code number 151, notpatented, as the female, or seed, parent with a proprietary selection ofEuphorbia pulcherrima×Euphorbia cornastra identified as code number 810,not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Euphorbia plantwas discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plantwithin the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlledgreenhouse environment in Yellow Rock, New South Wales, Australia onApr. 4, 2012.

Asexual reproduction of the new Euphorbia plant by terminal vegetativecuttings in a controlled greenhouse environment in Yellow Rock, NewSouth Wales, Australia since April, 2012 has shown that the uniquefeatures of this new Euphorbia plant are stable and reproduced true totype in successive generations of asexual reproduction.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Euphorbia have not been observed under all possiblecombinations of environmental conditions and cultural practices. Thephenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environmental conditionssuch as temperature, daylength and light intensity, without, however,any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘Bonpri 1095’. These characteristics incombination distinguish ‘Bonpri 1095’ as a new and distinct Euphorbiaplant:

-   -   1. Upright and mounded plant habit.    -   2. Vigorous growth habit.    -   3. Freely branching habit.    -   4. Dark green-colored leaves.    -   5. Inflorescences with large intense red purple-colored flower        bracts with lighter red purple-colored margins.    -   6. Inflorescences with small and sterile cyathia.    -   7. Good post-production longevity.

In side-by-side comparisons, plants of the new Euphorbia differprimarily from plants of the female parent selection in the followingcharacteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Euphorbia have smaller flower bracts than        plants of the female parent selection.    -   2. Plants of the new Euphorbia and the female parent selection        differ in flower bract color as plants of the female parent        selection have red-colored flower bracts.    -   3. Inflorescences of plants of the new Euphorbia have small and        sterile cyathia whereas inflorescences of plants of the female        parent selection have larger and fertile cyathia.

In side-by-side comparisons, plants of the new Euphorbia differprimarily from plants of the male parent selection in the followingcharacteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Euphorbia and the male parent selection        differ in flower bract color as plants of the male parent        selection have pale pink-colored flower bracts.    -   2. Inflorescences of plants of the new Euphorbia have smaller        cyathia than inflorescences of plants of the male parent        selection.    -   3. Inflorescences of plants of the new Euphorbia do not produce        pollen whereas inflorescences of plants of the male parent        selection produce pollen.

Plants of the new Euphorbia can be compared to plants of the Euphorbiapulcherrima Willd. ex Klotzsch×Euphorbia cornastra ‘Bonpridepcom’,disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 21,324. In side-by-side comparisons,plants of the new Euphorbia differ primarily from plants of‘Bonpridepcom’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Euphorbia are more vigorous than plants of        ‘Bonpridepcom’.    -   2. Plants of the new Euphorbia have smaller leaves than plants        of ‘Bonpridepcom’.    -   3. Plants of the new Euphorbia have more inflorescences per        plant than plants of ‘Bonpridepcom’.    -   4. Plants of the new Euphorbia have larger inflorescences with        larger flower bracts than plants of ‘Bonpridepcom’.    -   5. Inflorescences of plants of the new Euphorbia have smaller        cyathia than inflorescences of plants of ‘Bonpridepcom’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying photographs illustrate the overall appearance of thenew Euphorbia plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonablypossible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in thephotographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in thedetailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors ofthe new Euphorbia plant.

The photograph at the top of the sheet is a side perspective view of atypical flowering plant of ‘Bonpri 1095’ grown in a container.

The photograph at the bottom of the sheet is a close-up view of typicalinflorescences of ‘Bonpri 1095’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

Plants used in the aforementioned photographs and herewith described indetail were grown during the autumn in 12-cm containers in an outdoornursery in Higashiomi, Shiga, Japan and under cultural practices typicalof commercial Euphorbia production. During the production of the plants,day temperatures averaged 23° C. and night temperatures averaged 13° C.Plants were four months old when the photographs and the descriptionwere taken. In the following description, color references are made toThe Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2007 Edition, except wheregeneral terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd. ex    Klotzsch×Euphorbia cornastra ‘Bonpri 1095’.-   Parentage:    -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Proprietary selection of Euphorbia            pulcherrima Willd. ex Klotzsch identified as code number            151, not patented.        -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Proprietary selection of Euphorbia            pulcherrima×Euphorbia cornastra identified as code number            810, not patented.-   Propagation:    -   -   Type.—Terminal vegetative cuttings.        -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About ten days at            temperatures about 18° C. to 25° C.        -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About twelve days at            temperatures about 16° C. to 20° C.        -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About three            weeks at temperatures about 18° C. to 25° C.        -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, winter.—About four            weeks at temperatures about 16° C. to 20° C.        -   Root description.—Fibrous; typically white in color, actual            color of the roots is dependent on substrate composition,            water quality, fertilizer type and formulation, substrate            temperature and physiological age of roots.        -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; medium density.-   Plant description:    -   -   Plant habit and form.—Upright and mounded plant habit;            inverted triangle; inflorescences positioned above the            foliar plane; vigorous growth habit.        -   Plant height.—About 32 cm.        -   Plant diameter or spread.—About 40 cm.        -   Lateral branch description.—Branching habit: Freely            branching habit, about nine lateral branches develop per            plant. Length: About 21 cm. Diameter: About 5.7 mm.            Internode length: About 2.6 cm. Aspect: Mostly upright to            somewhat outwardly. Strength: Strong. Texture: Smooth,            glabrous. Color: Close to 144A.        -   Leaf description.—Arrangement: Alternate, simple. Length:            About 6.6 cm. Width: About 4.1 cm. Shape: Deltoid or ovate.            Apex: Acute. Base: Rounded or truncate. Margin: Shallowly            serrate; undulate. Texture, upper and lower surfaces:            Pubescent; rough. Venation pattern: Pinnate, reticulate.            Color: Developing leaves, upper surface: Close to 141B.            Developing leaves, lower surface: Close to 138B. Fully            developed leaves, upper surface: Close to 139A; venation,            close to 138C. Fully developed leaves, lower surface: Close            to 138A; venation, close to 138D. Petioles: Length: About            2.1 cm. Diameter: About 1.5 mm. Texture, upper and lower            surfaces: Pubescent. Color, upper surface: Close to 144A            tinged with close to 177A. Color, lower surface: Close to            144A.-   Inflorescence description:    -   -   Inflorescence type and habit.—Inflorescences are compound            corymbs of cyathia with numerous flower bracts subtending            the cyathia; inflorescences positioned above the foliar            plane.        -   Quantity of inflorescences.—About nine inflorescences            develop per plant.        -   Inflorescence diameter.—About 20.9 cm.        -   Inflorescence height.—About 6.5 cm.        -   Fragrance.—None detected.        -   Natural flowering season.—Plants typically flower during the            autumn and winter in Japan; inflorescence initiation and            development can also be induced under artificial long            nyctoperiod and short photoperiod conditions; early            flowering habit, plants flower about 50 days under natural            season conditions in Japan.        -   Post-production longevity.—Good post-production longevity;            plants of the new Euphorbia maintain good substance and            bract color for about seven weeks.        -   Flower bracts.—Quantity per inflorescence: About seven.            Length, largest bracts: About 9.8 cm. Width, largest bracts:            About 5.4 cm. Shape: Ovate. Apex: Acuminate. Base: Rounded.            Margin: Entire with shallow lobes. Texture and luster, upper            surface: Smooth, glabrous; matte. Texture and luster, lower            surface: Pubescent; matte. Aspect: Mostly horizontal.            Venation pattern: Pinnate, reticulate. Color: Transitional            bracts, upper surface: Close to N137A and 58C. Transitional            bracts, lower surface: Close to 138B and 36D. Developing            bracts, upper surface: Close to darker than 53C. Developing            bracts, lower surface: Close to 53D. Fully expanded bracts,            upper surface: Close to N57A; towards the margins, close to            N57D; venation, close to N137A. Fully expanded bracts, lower            surface: Close to 58D; venation, close to 145C. Flower bract            petioles: Length: About 1.6 cm. Diameter: About 1.4 mm.            Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Pubescent. Color, upper            and lower surfaces: Close to 144C.        -   Cyathia.—Quantity per corymb: About 18, relatively small.            Diameter of cyathia cluster: About 2.4 cm. Height,            individual cyathium: About 2.6 mm. Diameter, individual            cyathium: About 2.2 mm. Shape, individual cyathium: Globose;            sessile. Color: Close to 144C; towards the apex, close to            60A. Nectaries: Plants of the new Euphorbia have not been            observed to develop nectaries.        -   Peduncles.—Length: About 3.2 mm. Diameter: About 1.4 mm.            Strength: Strong. Aspect: Upright to outwardly. Texture:            Smooth, glabrous. Color: Close to 143B.        -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Plants of the new Euphorbia            have not been observed to develop stamens. Pistils: Plants            of the new Euphorbia have not been observed to develop            pistils. Seeds and fruits: Seed and fruit production has not            been observed on plants of the new Euphorbia.-   Disease & pest resistance: Plants of the new Euphorbia have not been    shown to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Euphorbia    plants.-   Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Euphorbia have been    observed to tolerate temperatures ranging from about 8° C. to about    40° C.

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Euphorbia plant named ‘Bonpri 1095’ as illustrated and described. 